Abingdon Reservoir
The Abingdon Reservoir is a long-term proposal for fresh water storage located south west of Abingdon, Oxfordshire in the mid-west of the Thames Basin and which is intended to help support water supply provision in the south-east of England.
Proposals
The proposal arose in 2006 by Thames Water.[2] In 2007 the Environment Agency opined that need for this was not proven.[3] Further arguments were put but the near-term-demand case was rejected in 2011.[4] In 2023, following a period of consultation, a revised version increase the proposal to 150bn litres (150Mm3).[5]
Since 2018 a longer-term proposal stands, for its building, by 2043 to cater to projected population growth in the Thames Basin.[6][7]
Reasons for the construction
The main reason to build is that the South-East is facing significant seasonal water stress. Factors are the rain shadow behind the prevailing westerly winds and western hills. Eastern counties lack the rainfall of the west; their average annual rainfall being 500-750mm. The west receives around 1800-2800mm.
Average population density is higher in the eastern than western counties; London houses 13.5% of the UK's population. This is the greatest concentration of domestic water usage. Roughly 22% of water use is domestic; 75% is from all types of industry.[citation needed]
Counter-arguments
GARD or the 'Group Against Reservoir Development' have counter-arguments, local, national and looking at international comparators.[8]
- Thames Water have unambitious targets for leakages[8]
- The reservoir will be far from potent against long droughts[9]
- As there is enough water to supply London now there can be in future using other, sustainable methods. [8]
- Impacts on the ecosystem being transformed from supporting many endangered and protected land-based invertebrates, water voles, bats and hedgehogs to more water-based bird life.[8]
- Traffic congestion and construction pollution.[8]
- Local economic loss of many well-rooted businesses and a solar farm.[10][8]
- A new, low, risk of flooding.[8]
References
- ^ "New reservoir in Abingdon | Water resources". Thames Water. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
- ^ Reservoir 'biggest in 25 years' - BBC News, 14 September 2006
- ^ "Need for reservoir 'not proven'". BBC News. 5 January 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
- ^ "Abingdon £1bn reservoir plan rejected by government". BBC News. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ^ Inman, Phillip (2023-04-22). "Lake or mistake? The row over water firms, drought and Abingdon's new super-reservoir". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
- ^ "Abingdon reservoir proposals questioned by Oxfordshire County Council". BBC News. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ^ "Abingdon Reservoir back on the cards!". CPRE. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g http://www.abingdonreservoir.org.uk/ Group Against Reservoir Development. www.abingdonreservoir.org.uk
- ^ [1] Resilience - Final Report. Group Against Reservoir Development. www.abingdonreservoir.org.uk
- ^ East Hanney solar farm